The Divine Comedy, Volume 1: Inferno (Penguin Classics)

Thank You, Dorothy L. Sayers!

I wish the translator was still alive so I could write her a fan letter!

The introduction of detailed history and study of the making and the form in this piece was like a college course on the subject of Dante and the Divine Comedy, as well as the world and times he was living in.

It is hard to believe the poetry was not originally written in English, the rhyme pattern and cadence are so natural. I am writing before I have completed it because I just had to say something right away. I have also purchased Purgatory and Heaven and I can hardly wait to read them!

The reason I had purchased these books in the first place was I read that Dorothy L. Sayers had done a translation of The Divine Comedy. Her mysteries and The Mind of the Maker had been so satisfying, I had to try out reading this classic with her touch. It definitely is not a disappointing choice!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Possibly the authoritative translation

When Penguin accepted Dorothy Leigh Sayers' manuscript for her translation of Dante's "Inferno," little did they realize what they were getting. Most people know Sayers (often referred to as DLS) as the author of the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries of the Twenties and Thirties; but she was also a MA of Somerville College, Oxford, with a first-class honors major in modern languages and medieval literature. DLS took a work meant for the people (it was written in the "vulgar" Italian, not the more scholarly Latin, so that all could enjoy it), and produced a work that is extremely readable in English as well. As well as managing to greatly preserve the original rhyme-scheme, her choice of wording for the always difficult job of translation achieves a readability that is a delight for the average person. Add to it the excellent notes on each canto, a good small biography and literary discussion of Dante himself, and discussions of the allegory within the poetry, and you end up with a book that every well-read person should have on their shelf. Begin with this one, and make sure to get the other two ("Purgatory" and "Paradise"); you won't regret this at all.

Mark Musa's translation was the best...

I thought Mark Musa's translation of this book was outstanding. Sometimes when I read books that were originally written in different languages, I'm very weary of the translator, but Mark Musa exceeded my expectations. His footnotes and insight into what Dante was really trying to convey (including Musa's paragraph long history lessons of perfect length without taking away from the book as a whole) really made the book worthwhile. Without those footnotes, it would have been completely over my head. I haven't read any other translations of the Divine Comedy in comparison, but I cannot imagine there is a better translation of the text.

A very readable translation

I read this translation for the first time two years ago. I had attempted to read the Longfellow translation, but found it much to difficult. This one, on the other hand, was very understandable. A great story, of course, and the notes at the end of EVERY CANTO were incredibly helpful in explaining the historical and cultural references, as well as the abundant symbolism. I loved the book and I've read it at least three times since I first read it. I highly recommend it.

The Inferno:Journey To Hell

In The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alegeheri, the author describes his visit to the underworld, of Hell. Accompanied by Virgil, his companion, he is transported to the under realm where sinners are punished. He travels to nine cirlces for the nine sins. He visits the circle of hypocrits and vivdly describes how every day, the sinners walk in circles chained together and every day, get their heads chopped off. Then Dante hears a mournful bugle call, more mournful then when Charlegmagne lost he said. The Inferno is an execellent story if you want to learn about life after death.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is the book to buy!

Well, I read this book on my own time (that's right) and had great expectations for it. It was everything I thought it would be and more! Musa has commentaries on EVERY Canto and analyzes lines from the Canto giving YOU a better understanding of this exciting epic. The journey through hell was so exciting, in the sense that you could imagine not only Dante's twisted mind but what he imagined hell to be! The ending is by far the best ending of a book I've EVER READ IN MY LIFE. I suggest you read this if you haven't already! Pick a copy of it up and start reading! You'll like this one.

The Best Edition I've Found So Far

This is the best edition I've found so far. The author did a wonderful job translating the text, but the part I like the best is that they take the time to explain what is going on (for those of us who are not versed in ancient Italian History).

Welcome to Hell

I must admit, I came into this epic a little intimidated. However, my fears about reading a 300 page poem faded quickly to the back of my mind as soon as I opend up to Canto I. Instead of laboring through verses, I found myself immersed in the sick and twisted world of Dante's Hell. Never before have I read anything that can compare to Inferno. Dante's use of language to establish a setting as frightening and intricate as this outmatches that of any other literary work (and this is after a translation). On top of all of this, Mark Musa analyzes every Canto, so that the reader can have a better understanding of Dante's masterpiece. Overall, outstanding.

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